Torrington High School track, field renovations to be completed by October

A construction worker steps out of an excavator at the Torrington High School athletic field complex Monday. Construction on the site is scheduled to be completed in the fall.
Esteban L. Hernandez — The Register Citizen

Crews from H.I. Stone of Southbury were on site Monday as work on the field, which hasn’t been renovated in nearly three decades, entered its eighth week of construction. Work began at the site June 20.

On Monday, the committee chose between eight designs for a new scoreboard, deciding to go with a black scoreboard featuring “Torrington” over the home score and the school’s logo, a large, maroon block “T”, at the center. The designs were created by OES Scoreboards.

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“It stands out better,” said state Rep. Michelle Cook, D-65, a committee member. Cook secured a $2.7 million grant to help complete the field, as well as an additional $200,000 for the project after funding issues arose earlier this year.

Other options included using “Raiders” as well as a smaller “T” and a background that was maroon instead of black. The scoreboard previously only featured “Home” and “Visitor”, the latter of which will be replaced with “Guest”. The scoreboard will still have “Robert H. Frost Athletic Complex” inscribed, though it will be on the top of the scoreboard instead of the bottom.

Arum said that by using the city’s name instead of the high school’s mascot, the scoreboard also works for Pop Warner teams. Cook added that it instills a better sense of “high school pride.”

The scoreboard will feature the names of Glen and Kathleen Aeschliman of the Kathleen E. Aeschliman Scholarship Fund, which donated $20,000 to pay for the centerpiece.

Crews are finishing a concrete curbing that will follow the track and separate that area from the field. The curbing includes drainage, which is about 30 percent complete, committee member Mario Longobucco said during the meeting.

The committee also chose some designs for the turf’s markings, as they are requesting permanent lines for yard tick marks, football and soccer field lines and restricted areas, choosing this option instead of painted lines. The designs include a massive THS logo at the center of the field.

Bleachers for the facility have been ordered, and footing work to outline the area will begin this month.

Cook said she has contacted the state Department of Transportation about removing several dead trees that were uprooted at the construction site.

Arum said turf committee members are meeting with the site’s chief designer, Gale Associates, of Glastonbury, Tuesday morning.

About the Author

Reporter Esteban L. Hernandez is a reporter with the New Haven Register. He formerly covered Torrington for The Register Citizen. Reach the author at ehernandez@registercitizen.com
or follow Esteban L. on Twitter: @EstebanHRZ.